DC Comics

Bobby Timony (art) and his twin brother Peter Timony (writing) are the creators of Night Owls, an award-winning series from DC Comics that’s been available in print and on line since 2009. This Roaring-20’s-style adventure tells the story of two humans and a gargoyle who team up to solve supernatural mysteries. It features more than its fair share of non-human characters too, mind you. If you visit their web site (called, appropriately enough, Twin Comics) you’ll see much more of Bobby’s art and the brothers’ work on other comic series they offer on-line now. Among them Goblin Hood, Widdershins Wilderness Scouts, and (furriest of them all) McCool: Sheriff of Dogwood.

And the strange mash-up of DC Comics and Hanna Barbera continues — and even expands. As you may recall, Snagglepuss made an appearance as a back-up story in the infamous Banana-Splitz-meet-the-Suicide-Squad comic. Well now the pink puma has his own new series all to himself, Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles. “It’s 1953. While the United States is locked in a nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union, the gay Southern playwright known as Snagglepuss is the toast of Broadway. But success has made him a target. As he plans for his next hit play, Snagglepuss becomes the focus of the House Committee on Un-American Activities. And when powerful forces align to purge show business of its most subversive voices, no one is safe!” Written by Mark Russell and illustrated by Mike Feehan, the first issue is out now. Den of Geek has a review.

Over at DC Comics, the “let’s fool around with Hanna-Barbera” fun continues… with the premier of The Ruff & Reddy Show comic. “In the Golden Age of television, Ruff and Reddy were on top of the entertainment world…until the world turned, and they were forgotten. Now, Ruff is a washed-up television actor. Reddy is a clerk in an upscale grocery store. Can a hungry young agent convince the two one-time partners to make a comeback—and convince the world that it wants to see the famously infamous dog-and-cat comedy team back in the spotlight?” Written by none other than the famous Howard Chaykin, with art by Mac Rey. Look for it by the end of October.

The strange meeting of Hanna-Barbera pushed sideways through DC Comics continues with the recent release of Dastardly & Muttley #1. According to them, it’s like this: “It’s a red-letter day for the good folk of Unliklistan as they start to power up their first atomic reactor. But after pushing the wrong button, the ultra-rare radioactive element, unstabilium, has been released into the atmosphere! Now it’s up to pilot Lt. Col. Richard ‘Dick’ Atcherly and his navigator Captain Dudley ‘Mutt’ Muller to save the day. Will they safely complete their mission? Or are things about to get a little…wacky?” Written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Mauricet, it’s available now.

Things take a furry turn once again over at Vertigo’s Astro City comic. (Remember that gorilla drummer?) This time, it’s canine costumed crusader. From Previews: “Meet G-Dog, possibly Astro City’s most unusual superhero ever. Half man, half dog – but who’s running the show? The answers will change a life, reveal another hero’s deepest secrets, and possibly, just possibly, save the world. Oh, who are we kidding… they’ll definitely change the world. Do you see that handsome face?” Issue #47 hits the shelves in early September.

Things are definitely getting “serious” (if we can use that word) in the world of DC Comics meets Warner Brothers Cartoons. That, or someone in the the upper echelons has come completely unhinged… Check out the these titles for upcoming series: Batman/Elmer Fudd Special. Jonah Hex/Yosemite Sam Special (featuring Foghorn Leghorn too!). Legion of Super Heroes/Bugs Bunny Special. Lobo/Road Runner Special. (Lobo teamed up with Wile E. Coyote. Can the universe survive??) Martian Manhunter/Marvin the Martian Special. And (as pictured below) the Wonder Woman/Tasmanian Devil Special. All this, plus a graphic novel reprint of the DC/Looney Tunes 100-Page Super Spectacular, a miniseries from 2000 that was the kick-off for all of this silliness. All of them arrive later this month, and CBR has a look at some of the amazing covers.

Is there no end to the mash-ups? (Probably not.) After last year’s well-received Planet of the Apes and Tarzancrossover comic, BOOM! Studios is at it again — teaming up with DC Comics this time to bring us… Planet of the Apes / Green Lantern. Yes. (Pretty straight-forward title, huh?) In this new full-color 6-issue miniseries, Cornelius the chimpanzee scientist investigates a disturbance in the Forbidden Zone… and discovers an ancient ring of power. Then, the rest of the Green Lantern Corps catches solar wind of it… According to the publishers, “BOOM! Studios, DC, and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products are excited to bring together two celebrated pop culture properties in a historic comics crossover event when the talking simians of the Planet of the Apes meet the Emerald Crusaders of the Green Lantern Corps. Written by Robbie Thompson (Silk) and Justin Jordan (Green Lantern), and illustrated by Barnaby Bagenda (The Omega Men), Planet of the Apes/Green Lantern debuts February 1st as a 6-issue monthly limited series.” So it’s there for you now! Blastr.com has more.

Kamandi, “the Last Boy on Earth”, returns once again in the new 12-issue comic Kamandi Challenge. We’ll let DC Comics explain how it works: “Born from the mind of Jack ‘King’ Kirby, the post-apocalyptic Earth of Kamandi has been a fan favorite for decades, and now 14 intrepid teams of writers and artists build on this incredible foundation and take the title character on an epic quest to find his long-lost parents and travel to places seen and unseen in the DC Universe. Each issue will end with an unimaginable cliffhanger, and it’s up to the next creative team to resolve it before creating their own. It’s a challenge worthy of ‘The King’ himself! In this premiere issue, the Last Boy on Earth is dragged from his safe haven by a group of tigers, only to face the nightmarish threat of the ultimate weapon!” The first issue hit the shelves this week, and IGN has a review.

The first time the Caped Crusader and the Heroes in a Half Shell joined forces to save both New York and Gotham City, it was epic. That time, the story was based on the characters’ respective comic books. Now, IDW and DC Comics have hooked up once again to bring us the new Batman/TMNT Adventures 6-issue miniseries — this time, based on the current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles CGI TV series and the famous (and influential) Batman: The Animated Series. Written by Matthew K. Manning and illustrated by Jon Sommariva, the first full-color issue hits the stands later this month. Oh, and check out Comics Alliance: They have an extensive write-up on it too.